


Don't bother knocking

by DobbyRocksYourSocks



Category: Free!
Genre: Apartment Complex AU, Future AU, Kinda, Multi, Okay that's a lot of characters, except it's like a fake building that would never exist successfully, hopefully everyone's gonna be in it too, it's based heavily around Rei, okay enough tags that mean nothing, they all live in an apartment complex together, whatever that's called
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-30
Updated: 2015-09-14
Packaged: 2018-04-06 23:19:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4240488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DobbyRocksYourSocks/pseuds/DobbyRocksYourSocks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Rei's ex-boyfriend (who hasn't quite gotten the message yet) takes over his new apartment Rei is lost. Luckily he has relatively friendly group of people living around him. Most of which are more than happy to help him out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Warning right now, it's going to be wonderfully over dramatic. Because I am a complete sucker for fucking nuts drama and I want to write some myself. Another warning is that I have never lived in an apartment complex for more than a week so I have very limited knowledge of this but I'm going to struggle through and all that.
> 
> Hopefully it's all consistent and written okay.

A month ago Rei had moved into the looming concrete building that looked absolutely nothing like the pictures online, it was old and covered in mould of all kinds. Rei had almost turned to the path of religion simply to pray that living here didn’t get him killed. He’d received a key at a desk on the other side of town, a much nicer side of town, and the map the pitying woman had given him lead him across town. The houses and buildings had managed to steadily decline in quality as he drove and Rei could feel his heart quickening as he realised perhaps he’d been lied to. 

Inside hadn’t been much better. To start with the door to the complex was wide open, didn’t even look like it could be locked and when he went to close the door behind him a large black haired man, with admittedly amazing muscles, growled at him. Rei assumed that meant keep the door open and let go of the doorknob like it had just come out of a furnace.

The lift was broken and the stairs were creaking with each step. Rei narrowly avoided slipping through a few holes broken into the stairs which lead him to notice the various holes and dints created in the walls. Some were up quite high and were suspiciously head shaped. Rei decided he was nowhere near brave enough to ask how they got there.

His own apartment wasn’t as terrible as the rest of the building allowed him to believe, it was clean at least. There was a bed, well he’d had to replace it after a week when he flipped over the mattress to see a bloodstain taking up most of the bed. The electricity worked and he had hot water for at least 20 minutes in the shower. Buying the apartment with furniture had seemed to work in his favour, although cleaning out the fridge was a first day task. He did not know nor care to know how the stains arrived all he wanted was to get them out, along with the long out of date jar of pickles. Who actually eats pickles?

So it’s been a month since Rei has moved in, his boxes are unpacked. He’s got a new bed, a new couch and a clean fridge. He has a healthy supply of bug spray and alcohol which both seem to be necessities in this building and he’s feeling right at home. Almost.

There are many other tenants in the building, all of which Rei knows by name and has a story connected with. He’s certain they don’t have a clue about his own name however as he tends to avoid them all entirely. 

Rin and his younger sister live together in the apartment across from his, well ‘together’. Kou or Gou, Rei’s not entirely sure which, lives with this older man called Sei in their apartment while Rin is more inclined to be in Haru’s shared apartment two doors down. Makoto is living with Haru but seems to spend more time with the muscular, black haired man who actually has a name, Sousuke. He’s right next door to Rei which is both a blessing and a curse. The pair of them are quite attractive he’s not afraid to admit. 

Right up the end of the hall Ai, Momo and Nagisa all live together but it’s almost as if there’s a constantly parade flowing from the apartment as every tenant appears to have the right to wander in and out of their apartment. Plus the copious amounts of strangers each of them drag home at night and kindly shepherd out in the morning.

Hallways are apparently made for communal arguments and public displays of general emotions. There’s been a number of times when Rei has wandered out of his apartment to one couple or another screaming bloody murder at each other and quickly hurried back inside to where he wouldn’t be hit by a flying plant pot or vase. Or saucepan. Really anything, he just wants to avoid getting involved in whatever affair the apartment complex seemed to be in the throes of at any given moment.

Parties would spill throughout multiple apartments and flow through the hallways with loud music and even louder chatter. Cheers would often ring throughout the halls. Rei would be inside his home, school work spread out on the bench as he sipped on a his third beer of the night attempting to drown out the drama’s unfolding outside his door with loud music blasting through his headphones that never did seem to compete well.

Within his first month of living here, he had not once spoken to another tenant. Not once bumped into any of them and not once been called out to. It was clear from the moment he stumbled into this crumbling shit show of a building that he did not belong in the slightest and was determined to stay quiet and hidden as long as he physically could.

As it turns out, said period of time was a month.

And his month in hiding was well and truly over.


	2. Three concise knocks

A 6am wake-up call that Sunday morning was not necessary nor desired but it arrived either way in the form of three, concise and evenly spaced knocks on his door every thirty seconds. Sera. Rei was tempted to let him knock all morning if he wished but could already hear the rumbling of his neighbour, the rising growl of an angry, very much not a morning person, man. 

With the threat of no longer being a practically invisible tenant at his heels Rei slunk out of bed and towards the door, pressing his glasses to his face.

Rei stood by the door, leaning against the wall and staring blearily at the door which still received those three irritating knocks every thirty seconds before sighing heavily through his nose and pulling open the door.

“Rei!” Sera cried, nudging his glasses up his nose and grinning nervously.

“What are you doing here Sera?” Rei sighed, still leant against the wall. He ran a hand through his sleep mussed hair and continued to stare at the black haired male with nothing but disinterest.

“Well, I…ah. I came to see you.” Sera announced, still grinning and twitching and Rei withheld a groan of annoyance.

“And why would you come to see your ex-boyfriend at 6 on a Sunday morning?” The question floated about unanswered for a moment but already Rei could see Kou’s door being opened a crack.

“Ex? We’re just on a break right?” Sera asked, twisting his fingers and peering past Rei into his apartment, “Look do you mind if we talk inside?”

“I mind a lot. Go home Sera, you know we’ve broken up.” Rei was already closing the door and standing in Sera’s path into his apartment. 

“Just for the month you know? Like a short break, get our heads sorted out.” Sera blathered, struggling to get past Rei and inside as Kou had stopped trying to hide the fact she was listening in. The door was almost completely open and Kou was eating a breakfast biscuit, sitting cross legged in her doorway.

Rei could feel his privacy eking away from him with each passing second, “Leave me alone Sera, please. Go home.” With that Rei closed the door and locked it ignoring his name being called on the other side. Sunday’s were usually lovely. Relatively quiet on all fronts and nothing to do but go for runs and sort himself out for the next week. This Sunday was not going to be as nice.

Sera remained outside his door all morning, he was there when Rei went to throw out his rubbish and followed him to the bins and back again. Already he’d gained more attention from his building in the past few hours than he had in the last month. 

It was heading towards 9pm when Rei finally decided he’d had enough.

Sera was sat in the hallway to the left of his front door, his head resting against the yellowing wall and staring upwards. His glasses were slipping down his nose and his fingers tapping against the wooden flooring. The door clicked open and closed again and Rei was sat beside him.

“Look, Sera.” Rei began, “You know this is part of the reason why we broke up, yes?” 

Sera’s head tilted down to look Rei in the eyes and then rapidly turning to look down stairs. 

“I know you think it’s charming or a sign of your devotion to me but it’s just not Sera. And I think you’re starting to realise it. I hope you are anyway.” Rei continued, he’d placed a hand on Sera’s knee and hoped that the other man didn’t interpret it as anything other than friendly. 

“So it wasn’t a break.” Sera whispered and Rei’s heart shuddered in sympathy but shook his head none the less, “It wasn’t a break.”

“It’s time to go home Sera.” Rei said as he stood, brushing his pants and adjusting his glasses before offering a hand up to plainly heartbroken ex-boyfriend in front of him. Sera took the hand and once he had risen, stepped back from Rei and began twisting his fingers.

“Would I be able to get one last hug? Please?” Sera looked up into Rei’s eyes, close to pouting and eyes bubbling with tears.

“Um…yes, okay.” Rei nodded, stepping forward to take the older man in his arms. Sera wrapped his arms tightly around Rei, the hug being surprisingly forceful causing Rei to stumble back a few steps closer to his door. It was a long hug, it was going on thirty seconds when Rei decided he was going to have to start wriggling his way out before he was held captive until the morning. 

As Rei began wriggling and released his already lose grip on the elder man Sera grasped his door handle and turned it. Dashing past Rei Sera slammed the door shut behind him and left a wide eyed Rei on the other side.

“I’m not leaving until we’re together again Rei! I know you love me, I know you love this!” Sera cried through the thin wood of his door.

Rei stood spluttering for a moment before hissing, “Again? Fucking again?” His hands were threaded through his hair and grasping at the roots roughly, his eyes narrowed down to slits and his teeth gritted together. And then the anger faded with a pitiful sigh, his eyes closed and he pressed the balls of his palm into his forehead. Hoping to ward off the oncoming headache.

“Fuck.” He whispered as he spun so that his back faced his door and slowly slid down it. Burying his head in his knee’s Rei could feel his resolve wavering. Could feel the desire to take Sera back only so that he would stop causing him so much fucking trouble.

But it didn’t matter, Sera would always be followed by a cyclone ready to tear everything apart and Rei would get caught in it. Whether or not they were together didn’t seem to matter.

He could hear Sera inside his apartment, things clanging together, crashes and bangs. None of them good sounds. All sounds of destruction. Fucking perfect.

“Um, hello? Are you alright?” A new voice appeared through the misery of his situation and Rei peered up at the speaker. It was the grey haired one, Nitori.

“Oh yes. Fine. Thank-you. Sorry for the um, you know. Scene.” Rei babbled, quickly plastering on a smile.

“Oh no, don’t worry about it. Would you…do you need some help? With the uh…scene going on behind you?” Nitori offered and Rei hastily shook his head in disagreement.

“No no, it’s fine. All okay.” Nitori looked unconvinced and stood in front of Rei awkwardly before the blonde, Nagisa, came bounding out of their apartment and crouched down so that he  
could take Rei’s hands.

“Come on! You can stay with us for a bit okay?” Nagisa stated, already pulling Rei up onto his feet and away from his infiltrated apartment, “Just until we can get this sorted. Sou’s a cop so he’ll know exactly what to do.” Nagisa carried on, Nitori trailed behind them and flashed a quick smile at Rei as they walked towards the apartment at the end of the hall.

“He won’t be arrested will he?” Rei questioned, sucking his lip between his teeth.

Nagisa looked back at him, his lips pursed and quirked to the side, eyebrows furrowed. “All depends.” He finally offered and pulled Rei through their front door and into what appeared to be a recent explosion sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eh see it's over-dramatic isn't it? I like it. I think. I dunno. Help. Lemme know if it's alright or not. And let me know about spelling mistakes and stuff cause I'm my only proof reader. Oh and it's a short chapter because I have an amazingly small attention span. Apologies.


	3. The abominable couch

Rei found himself instantly thrown into a pressing dilemma. Either go out a brave the fully grown man having a full blown tantrum in his apartment and feel the pitying stares burning into his back as each second ticked by or stay in this brand new mess of clothing, dirty dishes and empty wrappers. 

Fuck it, he can’t stand in that hallway anymore.

”Sorry, I’ve only cleaned a little since I got home.” Nagisa apologised grinning sheepishly, dropping Rei’s clammy hand to grip the back of his neck. Tilting his head to the left and his were eyes wide and apologetic. Rei shuddered to think what the small apartment looked like before Nagisa’s brief ‘tidy’.

Nitori closed the door behind them, effectively shutting out the sound of Rei’s favourite mug being smashed against his wall holding a picture of Rei and his brother, “Believe it or not Nagisa is actually the cleanest of us all.” Nitori spoke quietly, a small smile was shot in Rei’s direction before Nitori ducked back out of the room. 

“Come on! Sit down, I’ll grab you a drink.” In the blink of an eye Nagisa was behind him and shoving him towards the quite filthy lounge room, Nagisa had already bounded off into the tiny kitchen leaving Rei to take in the utter destruction before him.

The couch was in absolute ruin, there was no nice way to put it. It was covered in stains of various sizes, scents and colours. A sock hung from the armrest that was on an awkward angle which could only be achieved by too much pressure from one side. A pair of beetle printed boxers were discarded on the back of the possibly brown, possibly grey, suede couch. The only other seat available was an arm chair with a tower of hurriedly folded washing piled upon it. The couch it was then.

The floor had an almost complete layer of plastic water bottles, soft drink cans and coloured chocolate and lollie wrappers strewn across it. Rei had tried to avoid crunching any of the garbage underfoot but that particular feat was impossible. 

A small, technically flat screened T.V stood in the corner of the room with a large array of movies piled around it. The ‘entertainment system’ was instead a small pile of cardboard boxes that seem to have come from the furniture already in the room. There was little else, besides the mandatory mysterious wall stains and multiple pictures tacked to the wall. 

It seemed Rei had been missing out on a fairly tight knit community that had been built in this complex, at least three of the pictures contained every tenant currently in the building aside from him. Arms wrapped around each other in front of a glistening pool or gathered around a roaring fire. Rei refused to admit it looked as though it might be fun. But if this is how they lived Rei would not like to imagine how they traveled. 

Nagisa soon appeared back in the room with a blue cup, a plastic straw melded to the inside of the cup and a purple glass with the McDonalds logo appearing several times.  
“Blue or purple?” Nagisa offered, holding out both for easy picking opportunities. Rei wrapped his hand around the purple glass, he wasn’t sure if the blue children’s cup was a stab at his personality but decided to let it slide as Nagisa took a long suck from the straw.

“So, what is your name mysterious new boy?” Nagisa teased, flopping down beside him on the couch, a faint smell arose with the impact and Rei barely contained the nose wrinkle building up inside. 

“Ryuugazaki Rei. And yours?” Rei questioned, not willing to admit his accidental spying had led to him knowing his name already.

“Hazuki Nagisa but just call me Nagisa!” Nagisa grinned, and turned further to face Rei, crossing his legs in front of him and resting his hands in his lap, cradling the blue cup near his crossed ankles. 

“Ah, well it’s nice to meet you. Nagisa.” Rei sputtered, rubbing his fingers roughly against the raised surface of the glass in his hands.

“So, your ex-boyfriend has hijacked your apartment.” Nagisa started, an amused smirk playing across his lips.

“It does seem so.” Rei sighed, shoulders slumping he lifted the glass to his lips to take a small sip. A sharp taste hit his tongue and it burned slightly as it travelled down his throat. Rei did all he could to avoid choking, although surprising it was not at all an unwelcome to his plans.

“Is this a new thing?” Nagisa questioned, his head tilting to the side once again but to the right this time, and his hands were still clasped around the cup near his ankles. 

“New for here, but he’s followed me before. It’s mostly my fault, this whole dramatic affair worked a charm last time.” Rei grumbled, his hands had begun twisting around the glass, creating the slightly unpleasant squeak of flesh scrapping across glass. Nagisa shot a short glance at the cup that mightn’t make the night.

“So he’s always been this creepy.” Nagisa asked, the amusement in his eyes had begun to fade. 

“Well, I wouldn’t call him creepy. He’s just…passionate.” Rei said hurriedly, eyes pleading for Nagisa to understand, “He’s not a bad guy really. He just doesn’t quite understand the break up talk.” 

“Right,” Nagisa drawled with a grin but it wasn’t as bright or cheerful as the ones in the pictures on the walls, it was almost pitying. “Well I think Sou’s on night shift tonight. I just sent Ai over to check with Mako but I’m pretty sure so you’re welcome to stay the night until we can get Sou to kick out your unwelcomed visitor.” 

Rei teeth were already nibbling on the back of his bottom lip, “Oh no it’s quite alright. Thank you for your hospitality thus far but I’ll be fine thank-you.” 

“Don’t be silly Rei! Do you even have anywhere else to go?” Nagisa scolded lightly and didn’t bother to hide an amused grin when Rei spluttered.

“I…I…I suppose not.” 

“Then I guess you’re staying with us tonight!” The blond boy leapt to his feet and yanked a defeated Rei up beside him, pulling him down the short hallway he began to explain where Rei would be sleeping, ‘The couch if that’s okay, there isn’t much room around here after all’, and that he’ll have to make sure to say hello to Momo as he passed through or, ‘He might fall right on top of you! He’s really lazy and doesn’t look where he flings himself so make sure you’re loud Rei!” Over all this experience sounded like it might be more terrifying than braving the cyclone in his apartment.

Thankfully Nagisa had dragged him down the hall to pick up the spare sheets and pillow stored up the back of his cupboard, allowing Rei an unwanted peek into Nagisa’s equally offensive clothing storage system which seemed like a toss and hope kind of deal. The spare sheet gave Rei the slightest comfort that he wouldn’t be sleeping directly on the nightmare inducing couch but he was convinced whatever disease contained on the cushions would get through the thin protective layer of a cream coloured sheet. 

Nagisa had attempted to carry on the conversation, throwing himself down on the couch before Rei had the chance to spread the sheet out upon it. His feet had tucked up beneath him again and his eyes looked up at Rei with interest held within them.

“So, come out with it. Tell me all about you and this guy, what’s his name?” 

“Uh, Sera. His names Sera and I don’t really feel much like talking right now if that’s alright with you.” Rei admitted, his eyes darting to look at the wooden door as it swung open and Nitori walked through it. Shaking his head, Nagisa nodded in return, “Thought so. It’s confirmed Rei, Sou won’t be back til tomorrow.” 

“Ah, well thank-you anyway Nitori. Ah I mean, Ai.” Rei stuttered and Nitori only gave a gentle smile in return as he made his way down the hall, Nagisa covered his mouth to hide his amused smirk and lifted himself off the couch.

“I knew you knew our names Rei! That’s kinda creepy.” Nagisa giggled and picked up his cup, sucking loudly at the straw.

“I…I am not!” Rei exclaimed, “I merely overhead…I wasn’t….you don’t seem to be understanding!” Rei sputtered and Nagisa shook his head teasingly, “Very creepy Rei, just come talk to us next time yeah?” Rei nodded hurriedly, shoving his glasses up his nose and leaving a fingerprint on the lenses in his hurry. 

“Anyway Rei, if you don’t want to talk I should let you get some rest.” Nagisa’s smirk dropped to a warm smile and he followed Nitori down the hallway, “Nighty night Rei!” 

Rei lifted a hand to wave off Nagisa and waited until he heard the loud near slam of the door to release a heavy sigh, he downed the remaining drink left in the glass before placing it beside the sink among the tottering pile of dishes. Nagisa plastic cup seemed to have followed him into his bedroom. 

He meticulously spread out the sheet so that it covered the surface of the couch Rei would have to touch and placed the pillow down on the opposite end to the bent arm rest. It seemed like it could use a break and Rei wasn’t entirely convinced it wouldn’t give way in the night.

Settling down on the couch, ankles crossed and hands resting on his stomach, glasses first placed on the floor beside him and then moved to the front pocket of his shirt, he closed his eyes and began to take steady, deep breaths.

A few moments of ‘silence’ passed before Rei was up again, glasses perched on his nose as he moved towards the kitchen. There was no way he was sleeping. Without the distraction of Nagisa’s voice Rei could again here the destruction of his belongings a few doors down and the howling of sirens as various emergency departments roared past. 

Well if he wasn’t going to sleep he could at least attempt to be useful. Rei didn’t particularly enjoy washing dishes, the wet food sliding past his fingers as he scrubbed a plate wasn’t exactly his favourite sensation but as he filled the small sink with warm water and soap a feeling of peace began to settle over him and the feeling became ever more potent as each dish was cleaned and stacked on the bench in an orderly fashion beside him. 

Time passed quickly as each dish became clean and Rei moved onto the drying aspect, as the size of the pile had been frankly horrifying many of the dishes had already dried and the job was easy. Finding their correct places in the drawers and cupboards proved a tougher challenge. 

In the end Rei had figured out roughly where things belonged, through much trial and error and with a few unwanted discovery’s along the way (such as one of the occupants secret stash of well everything it seemed). 

It was then the front door was thrown open, its handle would be slamming against the plaster walls had a doorhandle sized hole not already been created. A short, orange haired figure flung himself into the room and had already begun to make his way to the couch. Rei who had dropped into a squat with a butter knife clutched tightly in his fist, peered into the lounge and groaned quietly, of course, there was another one. Rei rose to his feet and brushed down his clothing briefly, sliding the butterknife into its draw and making his way over to the new arrival to introduce himself.

He made sure to make his footsteps as loud as he could so he didn’t startle Momo like he had Rei but it was an unnecessary precaution. Once Rei had arrived at the couch Momo had already made himself comfortable, his shoe clad feet resting on the pillow and his head pressing against the broken armrest, dead asleep. 

“Of course.” Rei sighed and turned on his heel, well he did have the rest of the dishes to put away and the benches could always be wiped down. Perhaps by then Sera would have given up and gone home and Rei can leave a thank-you note for Nitori, Nagisa and Momo before getting back to his own apartment. Alas when every dish had returned to (what Rei assumed) was their original position and the benches were positively sparkling, Sera remained in his apartment, blaring his music loudly. 

Falling heavily into a plastic chair Rei rested his elbows against the small, worn wooden table. He let his forearms fold before him and dropped his head to rest on them. He was tired and if Sera was insisting on ruining his life then the least Rei could do was be awake enough to fix it later.

With his own music being played louder than it had any right to be and Momo’s snoring drifting in from the lounge Rei slowly let himself fall into an uncomfortable sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Whoops. Sorry. It's not even worth the wait I'm sorry. I can't really explain what happened so I won't. I feel like I've made a lot of mistakes here so please point them out for me. (Also I feel like I'm fucking up Nitori and I dunno how to stop it so he's gonna just have to deal with it until I develop him I guess.)
> 
> Thanks for reading! Please do leave a review and kudos if you'd like, it is greatly appreciated!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
